Skip to main content

This super-sized drone has several tricks up its sleeve

Aerones wind turbine cleaning drone + interview

Aerone’s super-sized drone appears to have come a long way since we last saw it lifting a skydiver high into the air for a jump almost a year ago.

Recommended Videos

The Latvia-based drone developer has been busy refining the design and equipping the flying machine with various tools that allow it to perform a variety of tasks.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

These include wind turbine maintenance, where the drone can wash and de-ice a turbine’s blades using high-pressure hoses. Such work is currently carried out by humans and takes much time and effort to complete, but Aerones believes its drone can revolutionize the process, lowering costs by improving efficiency.

As you can see from the image below, this is more than just a large drone with a hose attached. Aerones’ machine includes multiple sensors for precise angle determination, safety mechanisms such as constant monitoring of motor and battery temperature, ultra-HD and thermal cameras to pinpoint hotspots and aid pilot control, built-in radar technology to avoid obstacles even if shrouded in fog or smoke, and several parachutes in case the drone malfunctions while in the air. In addition, Aerones describes its drone as “rock steady” in strong winds, thanks to its unique stabilization system.

Aerones
Aerones

The all-important hose runs between the drone and a water supply from down below, which could be supplied via a truck or a ship. Power is supplied via a cable linked to a power source from the same truck or ship and allows the machine to fly for as long as required. It also has an internal battery that enables it to stay airborne for up to 20 minutes.

Depending on the size of turbine’s blades and the wind conditions, Aerones says its system could clean or de-ice 30 blades (10 turbines) in the space of a single day.

The machine can also use its cameras to inspect the blades before and after a clean to identify areas where maintenance may be required. Aerones says a pre-wash inspection flight “gives information on the kind of dirt on the blade, which allows you to estimate the cleaning time, let you see any damage, imperfection, crack or hole in the blade.”

Meanwhile, a post-wash flight lets you confirm the cleanliness of the blade after washing, and could expose damage that was unclear when the blade was dirty.

Aerones is also working on other applications for its drone. These include cleaning the outside of tall buildings, fighting fires in high places, and, with the drone able to lift up to 400 pounds (180 kg), carrying humans to safety in search and rescue efforts in locations where ground-based vehicles and helicopters can’t reach.

The three-year-old company is continuing with efforts to attract funding while developing and testing its technology in a number of countries around the world. The short-term plan is to offer drone services to customers instead of selling the system as a kit, though that approach could change as its work progresses.

A growing number of companies are developing drone platforms aimed at improving efficiency across a range of industries, with a Goldman Sachs report describing it as “a $100 billion business opportunity” over the next five years.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Hyundai Ioniq 5 sets world record for greatest altitude change
hyundai ioniq 5 world record altitude change mk02 detail kv

When the Guinness World Records (GWR) book was launched in 1955, the idea was to compile facts and figures that could finally settle often endless arguments in the U.K.’s many pubs.

It quickly evolved into a yearly compilation of world records, big and small, including last year's largest grilled cheese sandwich in the world.

Read more
Global EV sales expected to rise 30% in 2025, S&P Global says
ev sales up 30 percent 2025 byd sealion 7 1stbanner l

While trade wars, tariffs, and wavering subsidies are very much in the cards for the auto industry in 2025, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are still expected to rise substantially next year, according to S&P Global Mobility.

"2025 is shaping up to be ultra-challenging for the auto industry, as key regional demand factors limit demand potential and the new U.S. administration adds fresh uncertainty from day one," says Colin Couchman, executive director of global light vehicle forecasting for S&P Global Mobility.

Read more
Faraday Future could unveil lowest-priced EV yet at CES 2025
Faraday Future FF 91

Given existing tariffs and what’s in store from the Trump administration, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global race toward lower electric vehicle (EV) prices will not reach U.S. shores in 2025.

After all, Chinese manufacturers, who sell the least expensive EVs globally, have shelved plans to enter the U.S. market after 100% tariffs were imposed on China-made EVs in September.

Read more